News / National
Mnangagwa's govt to register food insecure families
24 May 2019 at 01:38hrs | Views
Government has started registration of all food insecure families and school children in need of food assistance ahead of the launch of an expanded food aid scheme countrywide in the wake of drought in the just-ended farming season blamed on the El-Nino weather phenomenon.
Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke said Government wanted to make sure that no one-starves because of food shortages after most parts of the country experienced crop failure because of drought. He said teams were already on the ground to register all families in need of food aid to enable Government to expand food relief operations around the country.
The registration exercise will also target schools to enable Government to expand the feeding scheme for school children.
"We already have structures on the ground that will soon start nationwide registration of all families who were left vulnerable following drought in the just-ended farming season and the exercise we are carrying out will enable Government to expand food relief operations to mitigate the effects of drought."
"Besides targeting food insecure families, we will also look at all our schools and establish the number of school children who are coming from vulnerable families so that we also expand or introduce new feeding schemes at schools for our learners not to be distracted or affected by lack of food," he said.
Deputy Minister Matuke reiterated that Government was pulling all the stops to make sure all those in need of food had supplies until the next harvest. He said President Mnangagwa had made it clear that all hunger-stricken families get assistance from Government.
"The impending registration of all families who are food insecure is at the instigation of President Mnangagwa who has tasked us to make sure that no one dies of hunger in Zimbabwe. The President has repeatedly emphasised that no one will die of hunger and we stand guided by what he says hence the desire to expand food relief operations," said Deputy Minister Matuke.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries in the region that emerge worse off from drought that caused widespread crop failure in most parts of the country spawning severe food shortages.
Government has been extending food assistance to vulnerable people through the Social Welfare Department with each families getting at least a 50kg bag of staple maize grain per month.
In Zimbabwe mostly southern parts of the country such as Masvingo, Manicaland and Matebeleland South were affected by drought in the 2018/19 farming season leaving most families in need of food aid.
According to conservative estimates Zimbabwe produced nearly 800 000 tonnes of maize in the just-ended farming season and this produce will add to stocks that were kept in the country's Strategic Grain Reserves to ensure the country has enough for domestic consumption.
Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke said Government wanted to make sure that no one-starves because of food shortages after most parts of the country experienced crop failure because of drought. He said teams were already on the ground to register all families in need of food aid to enable Government to expand food relief operations around the country.
The registration exercise will also target schools to enable Government to expand the feeding scheme for school children.
"We already have structures on the ground that will soon start nationwide registration of all families who were left vulnerable following drought in the just-ended farming season and the exercise we are carrying out will enable Government to expand food relief operations to mitigate the effects of drought."
"Besides targeting food insecure families, we will also look at all our schools and establish the number of school children who are coming from vulnerable families so that we also expand or introduce new feeding schemes at schools for our learners not to be distracted or affected by lack of food," he said.
Deputy Minister Matuke reiterated that Government was pulling all the stops to make sure all those in need of food had supplies until the next harvest. He said President Mnangagwa had made it clear that all hunger-stricken families get assistance from Government.
"The impending registration of all families who are food insecure is at the instigation of President Mnangagwa who has tasked us to make sure that no one dies of hunger in Zimbabwe. The President has repeatedly emphasised that no one will die of hunger and we stand guided by what he says hence the desire to expand food relief operations," said Deputy Minister Matuke.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries in the region that emerge worse off from drought that caused widespread crop failure in most parts of the country spawning severe food shortages.
Government has been extending food assistance to vulnerable people through the Social Welfare Department with each families getting at least a 50kg bag of staple maize grain per month.
In Zimbabwe mostly southern parts of the country such as Masvingo, Manicaland and Matebeleland South were affected by drought in the 2018/19 farming season leaving most families in need of food aid.
According to conservative estimates Zimbabwe produced nearly 800 000 tonnes of maize in the just-ended farming season and this produce will add to stocks that were kept in the country's Strategic Grain Reserves to ensure the country has enough for domestic consumption.
Source - the herald
